Police chief: San Bernardino robberies of elderly serious but not spiking

SAN BERNARDINO - The Police Department showed it was serious about going after the people who killed three elderly women during home-invasion robberies by announcing $30,000 in rewards for each case in January.

And police detectives continue to shine a light on home-invasion robberies and burglaries targeting senior citizens. Six cases, including one being investigated by the Sheriff's Department, were reported in January alone.

But in the Police Department's efforts to crack down on the problem, a belief has arisen that criminals are focusing on the elderly.

"That perception has evolved recently, that the elderly are being targeted," Police Chief Robert Handy said Friday. "We don't believe that that is necessarily true."

Handy said residents and city officials have been calling him almost daily, asking what he is doing about the crimes. Officers arrested three people this week, including a teen boy and girl who allegedly beat and robbed a 74-year-old man in the 2300 block of North Windsor Avenue, and an 18-year-old man who allegedly robbed a 78-year-old woman in the 200 block of West Seventh Street.

The frequent calls from panicked residents prompted Handy to take a closer look at the cases.

He said he and other officers discovered that since November, 11 percent of the city's robbery and burglary cases involved victims at least 60 years old. The same age group makes up about 18 percent of the city's population, showing that the crimes are not disproportionate to the population.

"It's unfortunate that anyone is victimized in our community - children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable - but we don't believe there is a relationship between the crimes, and we don't believe there is any spike involving the elderly," he said.

He said hasn't had a chance to compare numbers of crimes against the elderly in previous years.

Police Sgt. Gary Robertson said police, so far, have not been able to connect the January home invasions to the November death of Mary Beth Blaskey, 76, who was killed by at least one robber who ransacked her residence and fled in her vehicle.

"There's nothing to indicate that whoever is doing this is connected to Mary Beth Blaskey's case," Robertson said.

Handy emphasized that he still considers the crimes serious and that seniors should do everything they can to protect themselves and their homes.

He said he's been working with Kevin Hawkins, director of the Parks, Recreation and Community Services, to organize a series of meetings at senior centers to educate the elderly on safety.

He also encouraged residents to report crimes, no matter how minor. Handy said a woman recently contacted him because a man got onto her mother's property, but because the man did not enter the house, she didn't report it.

With education and vigilance, Handy says seniors will have a better chance of not becoming victims.

"Criminals are opportunists and they're out looking for opportunities," he said. "They're looking for the path of least resistance, so they're looking for a window or a door that is unlocked."